Short or long-sighted motorists could be fined up to £1,000 and receive three penalty points if they don’t wear their prescription glasses when driving. Drivers may also be at risk of invalidating their car insurance policy if they are involved in an incident which is later deemed their fault and they are not wearing their required glasses.
Those who are short-sighted will often need to wear glasses while driving so they can have a clear view of the road. Drivers may also need to wear glasses for other reasons which affect their eyesight.
The DVLA states that drivers “must wear glasses or contact lenses every time they drive if they need them to meet the ‘standards of vision for driving”, the Liverpool Echo reports. You need to inform the DVLA if you have a problem with your eyesight that affects both of your eyes, or the remaining eye if you only have one eye.
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You must be able to read (with glasses or contact lenses, if necessary) a car number plate made after September 1, 2001, from 20 metres. You must also have an adequate field of vision - your optician can tell you about this and do a test.
At the start of your practical driving test you have to correctly read a number plate on a parked vehicle. If you cannot, you’ll fail your driving test and the test will not continue. DVLA will be told and your licence will be revoked.
When you reapply for your driving licence, DVLA will ask you to have an eyesight test with DVSA. This will be at a driving test centre. If you’re successful, you’ll still have to pass the DVSA standard eyesight test at your next practical driving test.
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